Maestro `eraseText` fails on real Android devices: `test` and `replay` cannot opt in to the test IME

[mrzmyr]

Summary

On a real Android device, a Maestro flow with eraseText fails under agent-device test --maestro:

Replay failed at step 27 (eraseText): Android text input requires provider-native text injection or the bundled test IME helper for non-ASCII/control characters; the adb-shell fallback supports ASCII text only. On emulators the test IME activates automatically; on real devices pass `open --test-ime` to enable it

The same flow passes on an emulator. ASCII inputText works on the device.

Cause

eraseText types backspace characters:

agent-device/packages/maestro/src/daemon-port/daemon-runtime-port.ts

Lines 262 to 265 in 16e0757

	eraseText: async (input, context) =>
	await typeTextAndSettle(
	'\b'.repeat(
	input.charactersToErase ?? MAESTRO_RUNTIME_ADAPTER_POLICY.eraseTextMaxCharacters,

Backspace is a control character, so it needs the test IME. On real devices the test IME is opt-in through open --test-ime:

agent-device/src/daemon/session-lifecycle/internal/session-open-execution.ts

Lines 128 to 134 in 16e0757

	// Default-on for emulators, opt-in via --test-ime on real devices; --no-test-ime forces off.
	function shouldActivateAndroidTestIme(device: DeviceInfo, req: DaemonRequest): boolean {
	if (device.platform !== 'android') return false;
	const flag = req.flags?.testIme;
	if (flag !== undefined) return flag;
	return device.kind === 'emulator';
	}

test and replay have no such flag, so a flow run on a real device never gets the test IME.

What I tried

• open --test-ime --session <name>, then test --session <name>: fails at launchApp with android device <serial> is owned by session "<name>"
• same with replay --maestro --session <name>: same error
• {"testIme": true} in a config file passed through AGENT_DEVICE_CONFIG: test still fails with the error above
• adb shell ime set to the helper before test: still fails with the error above

Check with the test IME on

Local patch: shouldActivateAndroidTestIme returns true for real devices. With it, a flow with eraseText passes on the device, and the device keyboard is restored after the run.

Request

An opt-in for flow runs. The real-device default stays off, as decided in #1198. For example:

• --test-ime on test and replay
• or testIme from agent-device.json for flow runs

Environment

• agent-device 0.21.14. Same gating in 0.21.15 and on main at 16e0757
• Pixel 8, Android 17, USB
• macOS host